Consciousness sparked in man after 15 years in vegetative state

Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve resulted in a man "waking" after 15 years in a vegetative state(Credit: agsandrew/Depositphotos)

After 15 years in a vegetative state
with no signs of consciousness a man is now showing minimal signs of
"waking" following the implantation of an experimental nerve
stimulation device into his chest.

Angela Sirigu and colleagues at the
French National Centre for Scientific Research in Bron set out to
develop a novel way of regaining lost consciousness. The research
examined whether stimulating the vagus nerve could have any effect on
returning a vegetative patient back to a state of consciousness.

The vagus nerve has been the source of
a great deal of compelling research in recent years. Running from the
brain to the abdomen, the nerve is responsible for a huge array of
different bodily tasks, and it comes into contact with a number of
different organs, including the heart, lungs and stomach.

Stimulating the vagus nerve with an
electrical current has been shown to reduce epileptic seizures in
patients not responsive to drug treatment. This treatment has also
proven effective in reducing symptoms of depression. More recently it
was discovered that vagus nerve stimulation could potentially be an effective
anti-inflammatory treatment.

To examine whether vagus nerve
stimulation could restore consciousness in a vegetative patient, the
researchers selected a candidate who had been unresponsive for 15
years after a major car accident. After one month of electrical
stimulation to the vagus nerve, the man displayed signs of
awareness, such as turning his head when asked and following an object
with his eyes.

Examining the patient through EEG and
PET scans revealed increased brain activity across several areas of
the brain. The man was now closer to a state scientists would classify as minimal
consciousness after years in a vegetative state.

Needless to say this is
literally just one case study and not an indication the key to waking anyone up from an unconscious state has been found. Every
case of brain injury is different and not all would be responsive to
this kind of treatment, but the study offers a fascinating new insight
into what goes on in our body to produce consciousness.

Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve resulted in a man "waking" after 15 years in a vegetative state(Credit: <a href="https://depositphotos.com/10720543/stock-photo-stream-of-consciousness.html" rel="nofollow">agsandrew/Depositphotos</a>)